Copying machine tool



Aug. 31, 1954 L. E. MARCHANT EIAL COPYING MACHINE TOOL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 12, 1951 [NI/[H7055 LIZMABCHANT CEFAHB PEI? Z 7 ENEY Aug. 31, 1954 L. E. MAI'RCHANT' EI'AL COPYING MACHINE TOOL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1951 l is" lllullvlll l 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WTTOMIY Aug. 31, 1954 1.. E. MARCHANT ETAL Filed April 12. 1951 Aug. 31, 1954 L. E. MARCHANT ETAL COPYING MACHINE TOOL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 12, 1951 JWBIENTflBS .EMABCHAIVT @EFAB PE fir HNEY Patented Aug. 31, 1954 PATENT. OFFICE 2,687,676 COPYING MACHINE TOOL Lawrence Edgar Marchant, Toronto, Ontario,

and Clifford Phoenix Farr, Swansea, Ontario,

Canada, assignors to A. V. Roe

Canada Limited,

Malton, Ontario, Canada, a corporation Application April 12, 1951, Serial No. 220,572 3 Claims. (01. 90-13.5)

In the operation of such machine tools, if the tool head remains stationary it 15 necessary to t e pattern and workpieces, relative displacemove the table simultaneously in two planes at ment of these parts tends to occur due to unequal right angles, to cause the scanning element of expansion caused by the heat generated by the the tracer to follow the contour of the pattern. operation of the machine too. Therefore achowever, a simpler table construction is uticording to a further feature of the invention lized in which the table is arranged to move in means are provided to prevent, or reduce to a only one plane, then it is necessary to make negligible value, relative displacement due to provision for movement of the scanning element expansion of t e various coacting parts of the and the cutting tools carried by the tool head machine, particularly the tool spindles and the in a plane at right angles to the plane of move- Co espmldm mount n f t e Workpleces ment of the table. It is not an easy matter to The invention is more particularly described arrange this in a machine having a multi-spindle with reierence to the accompanying drawings in tool head and incorporating the necessary drives which like reference characters designate correfor the tools, if a relatively simple and practical SD di pa ou hout the Several views and design of machine tool is to be produced which in which will machine simultaneously a plurality of work- Figure 1 is a front perspective of a multi-spindle p eces to a high degree of accuracy. However, pattern controlled machine tool constructed in there is a demand for such a machine in the accordance with the invention; manufacture of gas turbine engines for machin- Figure 2 is a front elevation of the said maing the blanks for multi-stage turbine and comchine tool; pressor blades, which difier in shape at various F ur 3 is a p p t y in S ction Of the Said stages throughout the engine, and the economimachine tool; cal production of which constitutes a difficult Figure 4 is an elevation of one side of the said manufacturing problem. machine tool;

The main object of the present invention is, Figure 5 is an elevation of the opposite side of therefore, to provide a pattern controlled multithe said machine tool; spindle machine tool which, whilst being of rela- Figure 6 is a section through the tool head on tively simple construction, will enable several the line VIVI of Figure 3; workpieces to be accurately machined simul Figure '7 is a section through the tool head on taneously to the same shape as a common pattern the line VII-VII of Figure 3, and

In such a machine tool, the pattern is advan- 40 Figure 8 is a diagram of the hydraulic system tageously mounted on the table so that the scan of the machine tool. ning element of the tracer moves over the pat- The embodiment of the invention illustrated in em in a general direction substantially parallel the accompanying drawings is a pattern conto the longitudinal axis of the said patt rn. ti olled machine tool which 15 particularly adapted Where portions of the surface of the pattern are for simultaneously machining fourteen gas tuisteeply inclined, for example, to form a light blue engine blade blanks to the same shape as a angle corner which has to be traversed by the pattern. scanning element, the pattern may be mounted The general arrangement of this machine tool so that its longitudinal axis is inclined to the comprises a frame which includes a hollow base longitudinal axis of the tracer during the entire I having at each side hollow veitical stanchions tracing stroke, whereby the scanning element of 2. Extending horizontally between the upper the tracer is enabled to enter more readily such ends of the stanchions 2 is a tool head 3 comprisa corner and thus follow accurately the surface ing a hollow housing which is pivotally mounted of the pattern. i at opposite ends in the stanchions 2 The tool To permit such an inclined mounting of the head 3 carries fourteen milling cutteis 4 and a pattern and workpieces, in accordance with a tracer 5, the scanning element 6 of which is dis- ;further feature of the present invention the sur 3 4 and in line therewith. A power drive which is hereinafter more fully described is provided to oscillate the tool head 3 about its pivotal axis so that the scanning element 6 and the cutters t move in an arcuate path.

The scanning element 6 and the cutters 4 engage respectively a pattern and workpieces E (Figure 2) mounted on a table 8 supported by another table hereinafter referred to as the sub-table 8c. The sub-table 8a is mounted on two pairs of horizontal slideways ii for rectilinear movement in a direction transverse to the pivotal axis of the tool head 3. The tool head 3 is oscillated by a power drive about its pivotal axis and thus a steady arcuate down cutting stroke is imparted to the cutters Q as the scanning element 6 moves in a corresponding arcuate path, whilst a power drive controlled by the tracer 5 reciprocates the sub-table 8a to maintain the scanning element 6 in contact with the pattern on the table 8 during the entire cutting stroke of the cutters A, in accordance with the well known manner of operation of such tracers.

Having outlined the general construction of the illustrated embodiment o" the machine tool, its more important detail features, will now be described.

At opposite ends of the tool head 3 are provided bored bosses to which are bolted coaxial flanged trunnions Hi and H respectively (see Figure 3); the trunnions are journalled for pivotal movement in coaxial bearings 12 provided in bores formed in the stanchions 2. In the tool head 3 are mounted fourteen cylindrical quills iii in each of which is journalled a driving spindle Hi which supports at one end a chuck it for a cutting tool, such as a milling cutter d. The quills l3 and the tracer 5 are arranged in such a manner that the axes of the driving spindles I4 and of the tracer ii are parallel to one another in a common plane and at right angles to the pivotal axis of the tool head 3. At the other end of each driving spindle H1 is keyed a helical spur gear it which meshes with a helical spur gear l'i mounted on a common driving shaft it which powers all the spindles M. The driving shaft 18 which is coaxial with the pivotal axis of the tool head 3 is journalled in bearings is (Figure 6) provided in the tool head and also in bearings as provided in the trunnions. is and it. As shown in Figure 3, one end of the driving shaft l8 extends through a bore in the trunnion ii, and on the said end of the shaft is keyed a driving pulley 2! connected by belts to power means such as a driving motor 22 arranged in the base it.

On the tool head 3 are provided two spaced downwardly extending eccentric arms 23, the ends of which are coupled to the piston rods of a pair of hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 24 trunnioned in brackets 25 secured to the top of the base i. The assemblies 24 constitute the power drive for oscillating the tool head 3 about its pivotal axis thus moving the milling cutters 4 and the scanning element 6 in an arcuate path.

The sub-table 3a comprises a hollow casting which in plan is of T-shape (Figure 3) having a portion lit (the leg of the T) which extends beneath the tool head 3 and between the arms 23 is a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 21, the iston rod of which is coupled tothe sub-table 8a. This assembly constitutes a power drive for reciprocating the sub-table, and is controlled by the tracer 5 as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The table 8 is mounted on a transverse slideway on the sub-table 8a, and is indexed by small increments in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the cutting stroke of the tool head by an indexing mechanism of known type incorporated in the sub-table; the indexing mechanism is controlled by the strokes of the reciprocating sub-table ta. The surface of the table 8 on which the pattern and workpieces l are mounted is disposed in a plane which is parallel to the pivotal axis of the tool head 3 and which is inclined to the direction of travel of the reciprocating subtable ta (see Figures 4 and 5). This arrangement facilitates the mounting of the pattern and workpieces on the table 8 with their major surfaces or longitudinal axes inclined to the direction of travel of the reciprocating table so that the scanning element 6 is enabled to follow the contour of, for example, a right-angled corner in the pattern surface.

A slldeway is provided on one side of the table s for a number of adjustable cams or dogs 28 (Figure 1) which, during the index travel of the table 3 across the sub-table ta, actuate a series of coacting plungers 29 mounted on the sub-table. The plungers 2e actuate limit switches forming a part of the electrical system (not shown) which controls the hydraulic power drives of the machine tool, hereinafter more fully described. The electrical system also includes a series of limit switches 30 mounted in the left hand stanchion 2, these switches being actuated by abutments 3| adjustably mounted in a circular groove formed in the face of a disc 32 carried by an extension of the trunnion it. Another limit s vitch 33 in the electrical system is mounted on the left hand side of the base i and is actuated by a cam or dog 31 adjustably mounted on a slideway on the side of the sub-table ha.

The hollow base i is divided into four main compartments; the left hand compartment 211 houses a hydraulic pump unit at; the next adjacent portion constitutes a reservoir 36 for the hydraulic fluid used in the operation of the machine tool; another compartment provides a reservoir 3'! for the coolant used in the machining operations; and the right hand compartment provides with the right hand stanchion 2 a housing for the driving motor 22 for the driving spindles M.

In a multi-spindle machine having a long tool head and a correspondingly long worktable, accuracy of reproduction may be affected by unequal expansion of various portions of the machine, due to heat generated by the friction of the moving parts. In order to obviate or minimize this unequal expansion, the coolant for use in the machining operations is first led to an inlet connection 38 and then passes through a heat exchanger which includes a coil 39 mounted within the hollow housing of the tool head 3 adjacent to the common driving shaft is, which, incidentally, tends to become the hottest part of the tool head. After passing through the coil 39 the coolant is lead to other components of the heat exchanger, namely transverse passages 40 and longitudinal passageways H formed in the front part of the tool head 3. The longitudinal passageways M are connected by an outlet to flexible feed pipes G2 for directing the coolant to the cutters 4. The heated coolant from the pipes t2 flows over the table 8 and raises its temperature to correspond to that of the tool head. In some machines constructed in accordance with the invention, more elaborate temperature controlling means may be provided. For example,

matically the hydraulic operatingmechanism of the machine, the hydraulic fluid is stored in the reservoir 36. Thehydraulic pump unit 35 comprises an electric motor coupled to two pumps 43 and 44 drawing oil from the reservoir36. Each pump includes a small and a large volume feed unit, for example supplying one and eleven gallons per minute respectively, the ump 43 being connected to an unloading valve 45 and the pump 44 being connected to an unloading valve 46. Each valve 45 or 46 normallydelivers the combined flow from the pump or 44 corresponding thereto. However, with a pressure rise beyond a predetermined value due to a sufiicient increase in the resistance to the flow of fluid from a pump, the unloadingvalve of such pump operates to return the fluid from the large volume feed unit of the pump directly to the reservoir 35, only the small volume feed unit continuing to supply fluid under pressure. This is done to save power and minimize heating of thehydraulic fluid when only slow speed operation of the hydraulic mechanism is required.

The unloading valves 45 and 46 supply fluid to electrically controlled hydraulic reversing valves 41 and 48 respectively. The valve 4'! is connected to the hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 24, and, depending on its setting, it causes the pistons to move in or out and thus moving the cutters 4 and the scanning element 6 carried by thetool head 3 down or up. The cutters 4 and element 5 are raised rapidly under the combined flow of the pump '43. When the valve is actuated to reverse the flow, of fluid to move the tool head down, the fluid is directed through a port (not shown) in the valve 41, the area of which is adjustable by a speed control knob 49, to vary the speed of the down or cutting strokeof the tool head 3. This port also constitutes a resistance to the flow of fluid sufficient to cause the unloading valve 45 to operate so that the tool head is driven down on the cutting stroke solely by the small volume feed of the pump 43.

The electrically operated hydraulic reversing valve 48 is connected tothe hydraulic cylinder ,and piston assembly 2'! for actuation of the subtable 811. One-way valves 50 and 5| are coupled in the connecting pipes in such a manner that fluid from the valve 48 can move the piston of assembly 2! in only, to draw the table 8 towards the scanning element 6 of the tracer 5. The valve 48 is also connected to a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 52 for indexing the table 8 across the sub-table 8a.

When the valve 48 is actuated to supply fluid to the cylinder andpiston assembly 21 for the in feed of the sub-table 8a, and also to the cylinder and piston assembly 52, the piston of assembly 52 first makes its indexing stroke, and then, as pressure increases, the fluid flows through the valve 50 to move the table rapidly in towards the scanning element 6. When the table has travelled a distance predetermined by the setting of the cam 34, the limit switch 33 is operated to cause reversal of the flow from the valve 48. Since, however, the fluid cannot flow to the cylinder of assembly 2! through the oneway valvefl the resulting pressure increase causes the unloading valve 46 to operate to supply, only a, small volume feed. The unloading valve, 46 is also. connected to the valve mechanism 53 of the hydraulic tracer 5, and the tracer 5 now takes complete control of the movement of the table using the small volume feed to bring the pattern on the table 8 into contact with the scanning element 6 of the tracer. The downward stroke of the cutters 4 and element 6 carried by the tool head is also started when the cam 34 operates the limit switch 33, since the said limit switch also causes actuation of the valve 41 to initiate this downward stroke. The scanning element 6 of the tracer now follows the contour of the pattern during the arcuate downward stroke of the cutters 4 and element 8 since the movements of the table carrying the pattern are now under the control of the tracer 5. In the arrangement of the parts illustrated in the drawings, the table is moved generally cut,- away from the tool head, under the control of the tracer 5 during the down arcuate stroke of the cutters 4 and the element 6.

The termination of the downward stroke of the cutters 4 and element 6 1s controlled by one of the limit switches 30 which cause actuation of the reversing valve 41 to produce a rapid reverse movement of the tool head, under the combined delivery of the pump 43. One of the limit switches 30 also controls the top position of the cutters 4 and element 5 andcauses actuation of the reversing valve 4'! to stop the. tool head when the cutters 4 and element 6 are at the top of their arcuate stroke. This same limit switch also actuates the valve 48 to initiate another infeed of the sub-table 3a to repeat the cycle.

In operation, the hydraulic pump unit is first started to furnish fluid under pressure for actuation of the hydraulic drives. Then a pattern and workpieces, such as gas turbine engine blade blanks, are mounted on the table 8 and suitable milling cutters 4 are mounted in the chucks l5 and aligned with the scanning element 5 of the tracer 5, the shape of the tip of the element 6 corresponding to that of the cutting portion of 34 is set to actuate the limit switch. 33 at this in position of the sub-table 8a. The first cutting stroke is made at one side of the workpieces and since the table 8 is indexed by, for example, .010 inch steps across the sub-table So at the commencement of each down cutting stroke of the tool head, the entire surface of the pattern will eventually be reproduced. Having thus set up the machine tool, the motor 22 is started to drive the cutters 4 and then the valve 48 is actuated to initiate rapid in feed of the sub-table 8a. When the table 8 has been indexed. across the sub-table So so that the whole width of the pattern has been reproduced, one of the plungers 29 (Figure 2) is depressed to operate a limit switch causing actuation of a solenoid 54 (Figure 6 The solenoid 54 actuates the valve mechanism 53 to cause the table to be moved out. The last mentioned limit switch moreover over-rides the limit switch 30 which otherwise would have ini tiated another in feed of the table.

Some of the cams or dogs 23 may be positioned to actuate. some, of, the plungers 29 during the,

index feed of the table 8 across the sub-table 8a, and the thus depressed plungers may actuate limit switches (not shown) coacting with the limit switches Sill to vary the lower position of the stroke of the cutters i and scanning element 6 of the tool head, during an operating cycle of the machine.

.It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, siZe and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to, without departing from the scope of the claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. A pattern controlled machine tool for simultaneously machining a plurality of, blanks to identical configurations which correspond to the configuration of a pattern, comprising a frame, a tool head mounted on the frame for rocking movement about a pivotal axis, a tracer and a plurality of driving spindles for cutting tools, the tracer and the driving spindles being mounted in the tool head with their axes parallel to one another and in a plane parallel to the pivotal axis of the tool head, a unitary table mounted on the frame for rectilinear movement in a plane parallel to the pivotal axis of the tool head and in a direction transverse thereto, a power drive for. reciprocating the table, the table being adapted to support a pattern and a plurality of workpieces, the tracer being adapted to engage the pattern andt'he cutting tools carried by the spindles being adapted to engage the respective workpieces, power means to rotate the spindles about their axes, a power drive coupled to the tool head for rocking the tool head in a constant arcuate path thus providing an arcuate cutting stroke to the cutting tools on the spindles as the tracer scans the pattern in a corresponding arcuate path, and means responsive to the tracer to control one of the power drives and thus continually to position the table relative to the arcuately travelling tracer and cutting tools in accordance with the configuration of the pat tern scanned by the tracer to cause reproductionof the pattern configuration on the workpieces.

2. A pattern controlled machine tool for simultaneously machining a plurality of blanks to identical configurations which correspond to the configuration of a pattern, comprising a frame, a tool head mounted on the frame for rocking movement about a pivotal axis, a tracer and a plurality of driving spindles for cutting tools, the tracer and the driving spindles being mounted in the tool head with their axes parallel to one another and in a plane parallel to the pivotal axis of the tool head, a unitary table mounted on the frame for rectilinear movement in a plane parallel to the pivotal axis of the tool head and in a direction transverse thereto, a power drive for reciprocating the table, the table having a surface for supporting a pattern and a plurality of workpieces, the said table surface being inclined relative to the plane of movement of the table and parallel to the pivotal axis of the tool head, the tracer being adapted to engage the pattern and the cutting tools carried by the spindles being adapted to engage the respective workpieces, power means to rotate the spindles about their axes, a power drive coupled to the tool head for rocking the tool head in a constant arcuate path thus providing an arcuate cutting stroke to the cutting tools on the spindles as the tracer scans the pattern in a corresponding arcuate path, and means responsive to the tracer to con- 8 trol one'of the power drives and thus continually to position the'table relative to the arcuately travelling tracer and cutting tools in accordance with the configuration ,of the pattern scanned by the tracer to cause reproduction of the pattern configuration on the workpieces.

.3. A pattern controlled machine tool for simultaneously machining a plurality of blanks to identical configurations which correspond to the configuration of a pattern, comprising a frame having twospaced stanchions, a journal bearing in each stanchion, the said bearings being coaxial, a hollow housing, trunnions at opposite ends of the housing journalled in the stanchion I bearings and supporting the housing for rocking movement, a tracer extending from the housing and a plurality of cutting tool driving spindles mounted inside the 'housing and having a tool supporting end extending outside the housing, the axes of the tracer and of the driving spindles being parallel to one another and in a plane parallel to the rocking axis of the tool head, a table mounted on the frame for rectilinear movement in a plane parallel to the rocking axis of the housing and in a direction perpendicular to the said axis, a power drive coupled to the table for reciprocating the table, a second table mounted on the first mentioned table for movement in a plane and in a direction parallel to the rocking axis of the hollow housing, means responsive to the reciprocating strokes of the first mentioned table for indexing the second table, the second table having a surface for supporting a pattern and'a plurality of workpieces, the said table surface being inclined relative to the plane of movement of the first table and parallel to the rocking axis of the housing, the tracer being adapted to engage, the pattern and the tools supported by the driving spindles being adapted to engage the respective workpieces, a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing coaxially with the rocking axis of the housing and having one end extending through a housing trunnion, power means outside of the housing connected to the end of the shaft which extends through a housing trunnion torotate the shaft, gears on the shaft and on the other end of each driving spindle for coupling the shaft and the spindles, a power drive coupled to the tool head for rocking the tool head in a constant arcuate path thus providing an arcuate cutting stroke to the cutting tools on the spindles as the tracer scans the pattern in a corresponding arcuate path, and means responsive to the tracer to control the table power drive and thus continually to position the table relative. to the arcuately travelling tracer and cutting tools in accordance with the configuration of the pattern scanned by the tracer to cause reproduction of the pattern configuration on the workpieces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

